Among various types of information storage media, optical disks have been widely used due to their relative large storage capacity and low fabrication costs. Optical disks may be classified according to their storage capacity and include compact disks (CDs) and digital versatile disks (DVDs). Based on ability to write, read, and reproduce data with respect to the disks, exemplary optical disks include 650 MB CD-R, CD-RW, 4.7 GB DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. Recently, HD-DVD and blue-ray disks having a storage capacity of 20 GB or greater have been developed.
Optical disks are used as information storage media for portable electronic devices such as laptop computers, camcorders, and the like. However, there may be problems associated with the use of a conventional optical disk apparatus in portable electronic devices. For example, the conventional optical disk apparatus is typically large in size, and a complicated cassette-type or tray-type apparatus is used to place an optical disk with respect to the apparatus in such electronic devices. Accordingly, a slot-in type optical disk apparatus has been developed where a disk may be automatically inserted or ejected through a slot formed in a front surface of the optical disk apparatus.
But with the portable electronic devices becoming smaller in size, there is now demand for a smaller and light-weight slot-in type optical disk apparatus. Since the diameters of optical disks are standardized, there is a limit in reducing the width of the optical disk apparatus, and accordingly, much attention has been paid to reduce the thickness of the optical disk apparatus. However, as an example, because many components to control the motions of a loading lever, an eject lever, and a disk guide are needed to load and unload an optical disk with respect to the optical disk apparatus, it has been difficult to reduce the thickness and weight of the optical disk apparatus.